I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The first must-see film of the year.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Director Alfred Hitchcock once referred to this first version as the work of a "talented amateur" while he considered the 1956 remake to be that of a "professional". This is the earliest of many Hitchcock films that I have seen, and I believe that it was a huge breakthrough for the director's long career of success both in London and in Hollywood. To my knowledge, it is the only film that Hitchcock ever remade, and when he was required to fulfill a contractual demand by Paramount, he must have had a special attachment to it. Otherwise why would he have selected it for a revisit among so many other possibilities?A unique and interesting mixture of comedy and suspense, this film prominently features a sinister but wisecracking Peter Lorre, who, astonishingly enough, did not know English at the time and was therefore compelled to learn his lines phonetically. Under such circumstances, how did he so casually mock his fellow conspirators and so naturally threaten his victims in a language that was totally unfamiliar to him? The man must have been a genius.In the Hitchcock tradition, the film is a steady stream of quirky, eccentric characters and intriguing situations, including a cozy Alps opening setting, a sharpshooting mother (Edna Best), an amiable but anxious father (Leslie Banks) who somehow manages to maintain a subtle sense of humor under extraordinarily stressful conditions, a kidnapped child, an unexpected and very amusing visit to the dentist, an assassination plot, a strange cult congregation, a raucous, noisy battle with wooden chairs used as weapons, a creepy female cult leader (Cicely Oates), a concert at Albert Hall held under very tense conditions, and a brutal, prolonged shootout somewhere on the streets of London. The plight of innocent citizens unexpectedly entangled by mere chance in a web of espionage, criminality, and evil is one that appears again and again in Hitchcock's movies with huge success.Although I'm tempted to compare and contrast this very modest 1934 black and white feature with the much glossier, technicolor 1956 remake starring James Stewart and Doris Day, I will only focus on the earlier production for now. Although Doris did play a sharpshooter in "Calamity Jane", she is transformed into a singing mother for the 1956 remake. Que sera sera. To me, the original film has its own special attraction which I very much appreciate in its own right. The two versions, arriving at theaters 22 years apart, are like two structures built on similar foundations but designed differently with very pleasing but distinctive results. I love 'em both and hope that you do too.

In honor of Alfred Hitchcock's birthday I decided to sit down and watch one of his earlier films, the original The Man Who Knew Too Much. it's nowhere near as polished as his later classics but there is still some entertainment to be had. The premise is very similar to what he tackled in later ventures. It deals with a man and his family who get caught up in a murder and end up 'knowing too much'.One of the problems early on in the film is that most of the leading men all look similar. That is, except for the brilliant Peter Lorre. His character is filled with mystery so I wont spoil anything but I think he was the main bright spot in the film. He stole every scene he was in and then some. Leslie Banks was very reminiscent of Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity with his vulnerability but also how slick he can be as well. The plot of the film ends up being a bit too convoluted for a Hitchcock film, but I was nonetheless impressed by some of the feats he was able to pull off in such an early time in his career. The main one being the end gun battle. Now, the actual scene itself is far bigger than the actual film, so it can seem out of place. But you have to commemorate Hitchcock on his ambition here.So I enjoyed my time watching the film although it's not constructed very well at all. I give Hitchcock a pass and just hope when I watch his own remake of the film it turns out better.+Impressive for a 1934 Hitchcock film +Lorre's performance -Slow at times &convoluted plot 6.7/10

British couple Bob Lawrence (Leslie Banks) and his wife Jill (Edna Best) are on a Swiss ski vacation with their daughter Betty. They befriend fellow resort goer Louis Bernard (Pierre Fresnay). Louis is shoot dead in a crowded dance floor. He passes information to the couple to get to the British Consulate. Then they get a note claiming to have kidnapped Betty. The couple returns to London without their daughter. Gibson from the Foreign Office thinks that Louis had uncovered a plot to kill a foreign dignitary but the couple won't give up the info with Betty's life on the line. Bob and his brother Clive start following the note and finds the kidnappers Ramon (Frank Vosper) and Abbott (Peter Lorre). They find out Royal Albert Hall is the location and Jill has to stop it by herself.Alfred Hitchcock's directing style is there. He's putting his camera moves into action. There are still aspects that are closer to silent pictures. Peter Lorre is the most compelling actor despite his limited English skills. In the end, this is interesting to see these camera moves but they may be distracting from the story. The work is still a little stiff. It does have the sly Hitchcock humor. This is good early Hitchcock.

While on a family vacation in Switzerland a couple and their daughter ge. t thrown right into some international intrigue,, as a spy is at the same winter lodge they are at,, as the spy is shot,, he hands off pertinent information to the man. in order to make sure that the man doesn't reveal the information he has just gotten regarding an assassination attempt,, the unknown assailants kidnap the family's daughter, assuring them of silence,, well the couple just don't wanna stand for this ,, and start to look for clues where the kidnappers are holding their daughter,, and meanwhile, they are also looking into the plot of the assassination attempt,, very well done Hitchcock film.. love the first shot,, of the man coming down the downhill... when the dog runs out onto the slope... great tracking shot... wonderful movie.